Compiling Nmap from source code

Precompiled packages always take time to prepare and test, causing delays between releases. If you want to stay up-to-date with the latest additions, compiling Nmap's source code is highly recommended.

This recipe describes how to compile Nmap's source code in the Unix environment.

Getting ready

Make sure the following packages are installed in your system:

  • gcc
  • openssl
  • make

Install the missing software using your favorite package manager or build it from source code. Instructions to build these packages from source code are out of the scope of this book but are available online.

How to do it...

  1. Open your terminal and go into the directory where Nmap's source code is stored.
  2. Configure it according to your system:
    $ ./configure ...

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